23. What did the coroner write about the murders at L'Ecole Polytechnique?

Description

This article is from the can.talk.guns
FAQ, by Skeeter Abell-Smith ab133@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca with
numerous contributions by others.

23. What did the coroner write about the murders at L'Ecole Polytechnique?

[translated from French]
2.6 Conclusions

For all the involved parties (<<intervenants>>), this event, as sad
as it is, is not exceptional. In fact, armed aggression by a single
person is in itself an event which the Montreal Urban Community Police
Department faces on a regular basis.

However, let us keep in mind the sixty (60) cartridges that Marc Lepine
leaves on the scene when he decides to put an end to this terrible
episode when he was not at risk, no assault by the police was in
progress nor was being obviously in preparation. Thank God, he decides
by himself that it is enough.

It is deliberately that the gun control issue is not discussed. Indeed,
the ammunition and the time at Marc Lepine's disposal, without any
constraint, would have probably allowed him to achieve similar results
even with an easily accessible conventional hunting weapon. On the other
hand, the importance of the issues pertaining to pre-hospitalization
care and to the emergency police intervention deserve our undivided
attention.

The deficiencies noted regarding the interventions require in all
conscience that they be seriously considered, not to find
responsibilities*** but to bring corrections intended to ensure a better
protection of human life.

Some of the questions raised in the preceding section do not require an
answer because in itself raising them was answering them. It does not
mean however that that they are not worth to be followed up without
having to make formal recommendations.

For several other questions, however, it would not be proper or
equitable to attempt to answer them wihtout hearing all involved
persons, taking into account the proper context, more so that the
complexity of several elements require that various experts be heard,
all this not being in the domain of the coroner's area.

Theresa Z. Sourour, Coroner, m.d. FRCPC, May 10, 1990

*** very diplomatic langage meaning: finding who was responsible for
several "inefficiencies" in the overall rescue operation. In some cases,
almost like the keystone cops.